Way back into love
by lizzykingsley21
Summary: Remus Lupin has tried to avoid Ali Williams ever since they grew apart as children trying to preserve himself from rejection. What if he found her sitting by his side in their first day in Sixth year? What if their friendship re-bloomed? What if something beyond friendship did bloom?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: UNFORTUNATELY I OWN NOTHING FROM THE AMAZING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER, THOUGH I CAN CLAIM ALI, SHE IS ALL MINE. PLEASE REVIEW YOUR FEEDBACK HELPS EVERY TIME. HOPE YOU ENJOY.**

_Chapter one_

"Mind if I take a seat?"

Remus heard a voice he would recognize anywhere. Confused he nodded and cleared the other half of the last bench in the transfiguration classroom.

"Thanks" Ali spoke again and shot him a smile, which he returned rather weakly.

He remembered the same scenario developing six years ago, after both of them had been sorted in Gryffindor.

"Hello" She had said while taking a seat by his side in the great hall "Rosalie Williams, though my friends call me Ali "

"Remus Lupin" He smiled at her completely enthralled.

"Now aren't you a pretty flower" A handsome boy with black hair said as he stretched from in front of her to kiss her hand. "Sirius Black at your service my lady"

"Okay…" She said as she retrieved her hand with a funny face and a giggle. An unusual response for him.

"You are a tough one aren't you? Never mind I like them difficult" He said with his face set for a challenge.

Remus rolled his golden sprinkled blue eyes.

"I'm sure you do" She said again in a mocking tone.

Remus laughed amused at Sirius being rejected.

That was a laughter that was usually heard in the following six years, as every time he would approach her romantically she would shot him down with a comment as witty as the one Sirius would try to convince her with.

Every single girl in Hogwarts would keel over Sirius, thing he took advantage of, in a matter of seconds. At times he didn't even have to pursuit them, they would just fetch him and take him away for a few hours.

After their fifteen minutes of glory the girls would return to their common room devastated and in tears and would chase down the other Marauders to ask them what they had done wrong or how they could have him back. The thing is they couldn't get him back. Sirius was like a little boy; he wanted what was new, shiny, and what he couldn't have. Of course once he had "played" with the toy he would chivalrously dispose it and leave it to follow its own path.

Yet Ali wasn't like either of those girls. He had chased her down ever since he had laid eyes on her yet she just wouldn't surrender, neither would Sirius.

Remus could understand his friend. Not only was she probably the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts along side Lily, but she was also funny, and witty, and at the top of every single class she took, never receiving a grade below a E, also along side Lily, who was her closest friend. Ali never had a foul word to say about anyone except said person deserved it, in that case she would explode like a volcano, which was unfortunate for her contender as she was very agile with a wand… or anything she could use as a weapon.

Yet Remus stayed away from her after they had grown apart, probably trying to avoid his feelings to develop into something more harmful and being rejected like Sirius. If she hadn't taken an interest in "The most delish boy in school" as many girls said, why would she take an interest in him?

James and Sirius were the glorious faces of the Marauders, whereas Peter was almost like a wannabe and Remus was just quiet. He was as valuable as either Marauder inside the group, yet he wasn't as observed and known as his other mates.

The second the lesson ended he almost sprang from his seat, hurrying towards the great hall and away from Ali.

"Wait you-" She begun saying yet he had already left.

She wondered if she had done something wrong, yet they hadn't spoken during the entire lesson, both of them had been preoccupied scribbling every word that Professor McGonagall said. After all both of them knew that she always used everything she had taught in the first lesson of the year in their exams. Occasionally she would glance at him from the corner of her eye, she often caught his eye, yet he would look away the moment their eyes met and scribbled faster, making their table move at times. She was concerned that perhaps rejecting Sirius as much as she had had turned Remus against her making him hate her, he was a close friend of his after all…

"Remus!"

He thought he was loosing his mind, he was already hearing her call his name. As he felt an arm in his shoulder he realized he wasn't imagining anything.

"Remus Lupin are you going to make me chase you down to the great hall?!" She said as she caught her breath, her cheeks had a bright pink tint.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you" He muttered apologetically. _What's wrong with me? I never act like this! Smile for Christ sake_!

"You forgot your notebook" She eyed him suspiciously and smiled at him while she returned him his notebook. "It looked like your robe had caught on fire or something they way you ran away from there"

They began walking together towards the dinning hall as they spoke.

"I-I'm just hungry that's it" _idiot…_

"All right then, mind if I walk with you?"

"I'll be honoured" he gave her a crooked smile seeming more like his usual self

"So will I unless you run away, in that case I will know for sure that you dislike me"

"I won't"

"Good"

She smiled at him and they walked towards the dinning room, catching a few gossiping eyes. Their hands would brush every so often making Remus blush a little, he was delighted to see Ali hadn't noticed. Except that she had, reason for which she was smiling inwardly.

It had been years since they had talked for that long, they had been rather close for the first two years, yet after Sirius's attempts to hit on her had became a tad annoying they had grown apart, as Ali couldn't have a talk with Remus without Sirius interrupting them. Reason for which they only spoke a couple of times a month and about banal things, much to both of their displeasure. Remus was sure he was the one to regret it the most as he knew that Ali would have been the most reassuring of companies after he had had his "Fury little accident". He had even tried to tell her, yet he would get cold feet every time.

Ali was far from hating Remus or any of the Marauders, hell she even liked Sirius, just not in the way he fancied her. He was too much for her, too popular, too womanizer, too flirty. Besides she knew that once she said yes he would toss her as he did with the other girls. And she didn't need nor want a man like that.

His attempts were matched and even surpassed by his best mate James, who continuously kept trying to ask Lily out. James wasn't as flirtatious as Sirius and his ways where different, but both of them always got the same answer. Even though Lily was a teensy bit more aggressive than Ali, who was more playful with her rejections.

They had been talking for almost half an hour when the inevitable occurred and the Marauder came into the dinning hall and took a seat by them. Remus swore he could have hit him.

"My dearest Ali, I've chased you ever since first year and you end up cheating on me with my best friend?" Remus turned a discrete shade of pink and Ali narrowed her eyes at him, yet with a smile on her face. "What have I done wrong?" He said faking hurt.

"Well, primarily I can manage to have a lovely conversation with Remus without him commenting about the way I look"

"But how could I not mention it when you are so utterly gorgeous!" Sirius said bluntly, taking her hand.

"My point exactly" She whispered and Remus laughed softly. "You poor thing, you are a lost cause" She placed a hand on his cheek while she spoke in fake concern. Her touch made Sirius smile slyly and caused Remus's smile to disappear.

"Oh please aid my broken heart!" He took hold of her hand avoiding her to take it away, even though she had attempted to do so.

Both Ali and Remus rolled their eyes almost in synchrony.

Ali got closer to Sirius making him release her hand and his sly smile to widen.

"Two seats away from you in the Ravenclaw table there is a pretty blond who would love to aid your broken heart" She whispered in his ear, yet Remus was able to listen.

Both Remus and Sirius looked at the blonde she had been talking about. She was the antonym of what Ali was. She had fake blond hair that fell all the way down to her hips in a loose cascade and pretty blue eyes, which were framed by a thick layer of mascara and pink eye-shadow, her lips were tight as she observed the scene with Ali and Sirius which had made her jealous (along with every other girl in the school) but when she noticed Sirius was looking at her she wet her painted pink lips into a sly smile that resembled Sirius's. While the girl was pretty, she was nothing like Ali, she was a natural beauty, whereas that girl was a hundred per cent plastic.

Ali had light brown curls that fell up to her chest framing her beautiful dark green eyes and pink lips that hid the most wonderful smile that made anyone to whom it was directed blush and smile goofily in response, even Sirius, who would have never been caught dead blushing in a different scenario. Her body wasn't as tall and voluptuous as the one of the Ravenclaw, but she was slim and curvy and of a regular height. She had barely been seen with a trace of make up rather than a thin layer of mascara or chap stick during the winter because she honestly preferred to sleep than to wake up ten minutes earlier to apply make up. Yet she didn't need make up to be pretty, because she was gorgeous without it.

"I believe my work here is done" She said while grabbing an apple. She noticed Sirius face fell a bit, but she didn't notice that the same had occurred with Remus's. "I'll see you in the common room gentlemen"

"Mark my words one day you will be mine love" Said Sirius as she left, she laughed at it.

"Howdy James, Peter" she said as they walked past her.

"Ali?" James called behind her.

She turned as she bit her apple.

"Tell Lily I love her will ya?"

"At your service" She said with a smile and a bow.

James sat were Ali had and Peter by his side.

"She was in a good mood, finally got a date out of her?" Said James.

"Not yet, yet I will someday, if our friend Moony here doesn't do so first" He said mockingly looking at him with narrow eyes.

"What?" James said again as he took a bite of a baked potato.

"Nothing, he is deluding" Dismissed Remus.

"Mhm" Said Sirius before going towards the blond Ravenclaw who had been making eyes at him. He would give her what she was looking for, at least for two hours or so.

Uninterested in Sirius love life or play time he thought about the girl with whom he had spent the last hour with and whose face he was beginning to miss. Though he wasn't given much time to miss it as he saw it by his side in their following period.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

A day had passed since she had reunited with one of her dearest childhood friends. She knew that sitting by him in class and having lunch with him wasn't going to bring them back to the old days, but it was a step forwards. She had always been aware of how much she had missed their friendship, but the feeling had grown deeper during that summer.

She was in the lake that was by her house swimming when she remembered the time in their second year when she and Remus had left their common room one summer afternoon and went to the lake. They had asked for some fruit in the kitchen thanks to a passage James and Sirius had taught Remus. The house-elves were more than glad to give them the fruit after the way they had asked them, some of them even begun crying and hitting themselves with random objects.

She missed the way they talked, she hated that the years had passed and they treated each other like strangers except for few occasions in which they would talk about random things. Not only did she miss the way they talked, but she missed his demeanour, the way he soothed her, she missed him.

She also couldn't help to notice that he had grown into a very handsome boy, even handsomer than Sirius to her eyes. He had a solid body that bare a lot of scars, which had always concerned her. She knew that something was wrong with him ever since the first time he had been absent for two days and looked like hippogriff's wastes a week after it. Besides from his solid complexion he had a lovely face. His blue eyes had golden strakes in them and were surrounded with blond eyelashes that matched his tawny hair, which almost covered his wonderful eyes…

A strange cloud interrupted Ali's line of thought. After her last period she had decided to celebrate the second day of school by launching in her favourite tree in front of the transfiguration classroom. She opened her eyes as she realized it wasn't a cloud that was covering the sun as it was breathing on top of her…

"Really?" She said as she opened her eyes. Sirius only smiled in response. "Sirius would you mind moving your body from on top of mine?" She said patiently.

"But I would mind, I like the view from up here" His face was inches away from hers and he moved a stray of hair from her face.

"Let me paraphrase" She let out a small laugh "Move. Your. Body. Now"

"Or what?"

"Do I have to remind you how skilful I am with a wand? Or how hard I can kick?" At that she noticed that James, Peter and Remus were there as well as she heard Remus and James laughing.

"You certainly don't" He said knowing that her warnings usually led to him being hurt.

He slid beside her and took a sit by her side with his back against the tree trunk.

She quickly met Remus's eye, who gave her a small smile before returning to the book he was reading.

"I see the Ravenclaw came with an expiration date"

Sirius and James laughed at her comment, which unfortunately for the Ravenclaw was true…

"Too shallow, she kept looking at her self in the mirror and applying rouge after we snogged, you know I'd rather snog you…" He placed a hand in her cheek, making Ali cock an eyebrow and Remus to clench his grip on the book.

"Haven't we gone through this a second ago?" Ali rolled her eyes and removed his hand, "Besides I'm not one to snog and toss"

Ali noticed that Sirius looked at Remus and he had blushed. She didn't understand so she changed the subject.

"What are you Marauders up to in this pleasant afternoon?"

"You really want to know?" asked James in disbelief.

"Sure, why do you sound so surprised?" She said with an amused voice.

"Dunno, no girl ever wondered what we were up to, they usually snog him" he looked at Sirius who smiled and winked at her "And as you proved that you don't want to do that during all this years..." Sirius smile disappeared.

"James, I'm not like other girls" She smiled maliciously; James sat by her against the tree trunk, his eyes glistening with conspiracy.

"All right then" He said before spitting his malicious prank over some Slytherins.

After he begun speaking Peter sat defeated by exhaustion, Remus sat in front of her, muttering a sorry when he accidentally hit her leg with his book. She smiled at him dismissing any guilt.

Their plan consisted of gluing the arses of some Slytherins to the table at breakfast so that they would miss their first class tomorrow, which was transfiguration with McGonagall, who had a special distaste for the Slytherins.

"Everything sounds great, except for a little flaw" Sirius and James stared as they were the masterminds behind the pranks. "The spell you are using only works in mud or natural grounds, not a painted wooden stool"

"No, what?" Said Sirius sounding dumbfounded.

"What you heard dear, you should try _Impediment loctorium_, that will work, though be careful to who you aim your wand"

The four men stared at her in surprise, even Remus had lifted his eyes from the book.

"Am I really going to have this stare whenever I talk with you?" She said before laughing softly, making some of the curls in her face bounce. "What?" she actually said while laughing.

"You would make a fine Marauderette, that's it" Said Remus reading his friends minds.

"Ali! There you are, I've been looking for you everywhere" Said Lily as she got closer to her best friend.

Knowing that her friend wouldn't get any closer due to the man sitting besides her she got her backpack and got up.

"That's my cue, good luck gentleman" She said as she walked away.

"We'll let you know" said James "oh and Ali-"

"I'll tell Lily you love her, I know" James smiled fondly at her.

Sirius was just staring at her, it was time for him to say something stupid.

"She looks as good leaving as she does coming" He said in a faux goofy voice.

"_Langlock!_" Ali turned, wand pointed at Sirius, smile plastered in her face. "Can't say I didn't warn you" She said before disappearing alongside Lily.

Behind her she left three Marauders laughing their heads off and two with a sort of inexplicable longing, though between one of them the longing was evolving into something else…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

"I understand you redeveloping your friendship with Remus, I like him, but you _have_ to befriend the others as well?" Lily said incredulously as they walked towards their common room.

"They are not as bad as they seem" Lily gave her an incredulous face "Really" She said while laughing.

"Oh please, Sirius is almost as much as a pester to you as James is to me" She tied her flawless red hair as she sat on her bed.

"James is really not that bad, he is pretty funny if you give him a chance, " Lil rolled her eyes "and Sirius, he's Sirius, I can hex him if he doesn't behave just like today" _I wonder if Remus gave him the counter course…_

"Fine, if you want to hang out with the Marauders it's your call, but please stop telling me James loves me after every time you meet them"

"How can I resist when he asks so prettily?" She let out a laugh at Lily's exasperated glance, yet she stopped when Lily flung her pillow at her. "All right, I'll let you break his heart"

Ten minutes before they had to go to the great hall for dinner Alice appeared with a blushed face and a skipping heart.

"Well, well, well… look who arrived Lil"

"If it isn't Alice Longbottom"

"Oh shut up yous twos " Said Alice as she closed the door and threw herself in her bed hugging her pillow.

"Will you tell us or should be slip some veritaserum in your water?" Said Ali anxiously.

Yet there wasn't any need for it as Alice would have begun telling everything about her date with Frank Longbottom anyway. They were already fifteen minutes late to dinner and Alice wouldn't shut up. As much as they loved her, she was waaay too in love.

"Alice dear as much as we would love to stay listening all about Frank and his perfect ears we have to go to dinner" Lily said more tactfully than Ali would have.

"Okay, I'll tell you more on the way there"

"Yippy!" Said Ali as they went downstairs.

The Marauders turned their heads instantly as Ali entered by Lily and Alice's side. They had saved a seat for Lily and Ali as James and Sirius had insisted, yet the second hadn't insisted only for his sake. Sirius threatened a first year to scoot over so as to make space for Alice. The first year left with a scared look in his eyes.

"Oi Ali" Ali heard James as she entered the hall. She saw three seats and a scared first year by the Marauders side. Ali almost laughed at the hope in James's eyes.

"No way, no, DEFINETLY NOT!" Lily said beginning to turn into dark Lily.

"Do you see any other seats available?" Ali cocked an eyebrow at her.

"No, but- blimey. Fine, but I'm not talking to him"

"Seams fine to me" Ali said as she walked to the other side of the table as she wanted to let James be by Lily's side, and she knew that she could avoid all the 'Fabulous Frank' talk if she wasn't by Alice. She loved Alice and she liked Frank, but he wasn't that fabulous.

She was surprised to find that the spare sit was not by Sirius, but by Remus. Surprised didn't mean disappointed though.

"How is the evening treating you beautiful ladies?" Sirius was the one to speak such a cheesy phrase.

Alice blushed and Lily rolled her eyes and did a little 'hmh' Ali couldn't help but to laugh at that, making the mood lighter.

"I was just telling Lily how nice of you it was to save a seat for us, right Lily?" As she didn't answer she kicked her in the calf.

"Ouch!" She glared at Ali and made the four boys curious. "Yeah, thanks" She said unwillingly.

Ali knew not to push it any more, it was the best she would obtain from her stubborn best friend, and apparently was enough to make James smile.

"So…" Sirius begun at the obviously awkward silence. The boy really couldn't keep his mouth closed "Moony gave me the counter course a few minutes ago" he said talking to Ali "By the one condition that I apologized, so I'm sorry Lovely Ali, would you forgive me? "

He put puppy eyes, reason for which Ali begun laughing. Her laughter was so contagious that it made Sirius and Remus smile alongside with James who laughed at the situation besides being utterly ignored by Lily.

"Fine, but if you do it again I'll make sure that only I know the counter curse" She gave him her hand to shake; instead he kissed it and gave her an apologetic shrug.

"You are missing another part of the deal Padfoot" Remus said while not lifting his view from his plate.

"Yes, I'm going there, please remember this is absolutely hurting me " Remus lifted his eyes at his friend making him speak "Here it goes, Moony said that I should also stop flirting -"

"I believe the word was harassing" Said Remus now looking at Ali, to whom he gave a crooked smile which she returned.

"Love is a language with many interpretations my dear friend, anyway, the thing is, for the sake of our friendship I will begin to hide my dark intentions towards you, unless you want me to show them, _of course_" He gave her the sly smile that would usually make girls melt at his feet.

"I'm fine with the deal thank you"

"Ouch" Said Sirius.

She knew that he would not give up, not because she was the love of his life, but because she was the only girl to ever say no to him.

"Thanks" She whispered at Remus and gave him a kind smile.

"Anytime" He said as he returned the smile.

Over all dinner had gone pretty well. Lily only cursed James once, well, actually because that was the only time they spoke as she turned to speak to Alice only, who kept on babbling about Frank. Due to the magnificent deal Remus had made Sirius didn't shot any sly comments, so for the first time in years they spoke civilly. Peter, sorry, 'Wormtail' was more of a listener rather than a talker, so he heard 'Prongs' and 'Padfoot' conspire about their master prank, which without Ali wouldn't have worked. Ali had been told to use their nicknames rather than their Christian names, as it was more 'intimate' Sirius had wriggled his eyebrows at that. Remus, who seemed very cheerful, had punched him.

"Ali we are leaving, are you coming?" Lily said as she got up. James face fell.

"I think I'll se you in the dorms" She said with a smile.

There were few people left in the great hall and besides from some boys in seventh year she and the marauders were the last in the Gryffindor table.

"Why didn't you leave with your friends?" Remus asked with a twinge of hope in his eyes.

"Because I swear if I hear another thing about Frank Longbottom and how snoggable he is I will chop my ears off"

James and Sirius spat their pumpkin juice and Peter almost choked on his chocolate cake. Remus only smiled fondly at her.

The entire school new about Alice and Frank and how head over heals they were for each other, so there was no harm in her saying so.

"Why? Should I've left?"

"No-No!" _smooth_ thought Remus "It was a surprise, just that" He said trying to mend what wasn't actually as bad as he thought.

"Remus chill, honestly" She said as she placed a hand in his shoulder. She felt his muscles getting tense beneath his shirt and then relaxing.

He smiled at her and James and Sirius exchanged a weird look.

The rest of the evening was pleasant, she went back to her common room with the four most popular boys by her side and two of the most handsome as well, which made most of the girls glare at her. Though she was used to it as Sirius used to leave whichever his conquer was to pursuit her when she walked by. Yet she wasn't used to girls gossiping as she walked by their side.

"I wonder what they are saying" She said to Remus who was by her side, where as the others were two steps ahead of them.

"Rubbish I bet" He second thought about what he was about to say, yet he said it anyways "They must be saying that you are dating one of us, probably Sirius" the last bit he said with a different tone.

"Now _that_ would be rubbish" At the smile in Remus face she kept on without thinking "I mean if I fancied him I would be walking by his side wouldn't I?" At Remus's blush she realized what she had just said and that she was blushing as well.

She thanked Merlin they were already in front of the fat lady.

Remus just stared at her wide-eyed, confused brow.

"I must go or Lily will murder me, um, bye" She said while rushing inside the portrait hole. _You big fat IDIOT!_

"What was that all about?" Asked James as he entered through the hole himself.

"Why would I know?" Remus said defensively walking up the stairs.

"Because _you_ were talking to her genius" Sirius stopped and gave another look to Remus "Moony, are you blushing?"

"NO!" He said while he sank his face in his pillow.

"You'd think that his time of the month is near" Joked James.

"I heard that you arse!" Remus said as he turned the lights of to avoid the other commenting about the silly expression in his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

Ali nearly missed breakfast as she was to ashamed to meet Remus. Had she really told him that she fancied him? Perhaps he hadn't realized, he should have remembered that she used to babble a lot when they were children. The problem was that they weren't children anymore. She didn't see him as a child, what if he did saw her like one? What if she had spoiled their chance of rebecoming friends? What if by getting close to him she never meant to be his friend again…

"Ali? Are you coming?" Alice said as she took a final look at her hair, which today was tied in a French braid, courtesy of Lily Evans.

"Hun you haven't even changed yet! And it is seven thirty already!" Lily said as she emerged from the bathroom all perfumed and looking effortlessly beautiful as always.

Ali hid her face in the pillow and covered herself "you go ahead, I'll be there in a minute"

"Okay, are you sure you are all right? DID ANY OF THOSE HORRIBLE MARAUDERS DO ANYTHING TO YOU?" Lily's voice grew louder and louder as the phrase developed. Dark Lily was beginning to appear.

"No mum, they didn't do anything to me" _I was the stupid, not them._

"Fine, we'll see you in a while" Lily said before leaving, not completely convinced thoug.

Ali looked at herself in the mirror one last time, she never took more than ten minutes to change and brush her teeth, having messy curly hair was an advantage as she didn't have to comb it, but today she had taken a quarter of an hour already. If she was going to be ridiculed because she liked her mate, she was going to be sure she at least looked good.

Remus observed as Lily and Alice entered and sat away from them alone. He had been waiting for Ali in their common room before, yet she had not come and Sirius was so damn childish about going so as to make the god damned prank. Which they hadn't done as they were waiting for Ali, who they thought deserved to see her first master prank.

"What did you do to her last night Moony?" James said as he took a bite of his bacon.

"I didn't do anything!" he said defensively as he had a thousand times last night.

He had laid awake thinking about what to say. Perhaps she had only spoken figuratively, or she meant that she knew that he fancied her, what if she knew he fancied her? He would die, just now that they begun speaking again he had ruined everything. Three hours of viable sleep had gone to waste for nothing! He had absolutely no bloody idea of what to do.

The feelings he had had last night resurfaced when he saw her entering the great hall, looking more breath taking than ever, if that was even possible. As she walked past him and Sirius the last grabbed her arm and sat her by his side.

"Where do you think you are going? I dunno what happened last night, but you two will snap back to reality for the awesome prank we planned!"

_You two? Was Remus behaving like me last night?_

Ali gave him a reassuring smile and so did Remus, who then looked at Ali, who smiled awkwardly at him, which he returned even more awkwardly. At that Ali laughed and a true smile spread on Remus's lips.

"Would you like to do the honours?" James asked Ali

"No way, I'm only the brains behind this, you are the muscle" She answered, Sirius was surprised to find that that was the exact same answer Remus had always given him.

"You two are strange birds" Sirius added. "If you may James"

All that followed was a cascade of rage filled grunts coming from attacked Slytherins, yet there was no one to aid them, as no one understood what was going on. Mostly teachers and students looked at them with weird faces.

She and the Marauders had to leave the room due to the laughter filling their chests. As soon as they left the great hall they burst out in laughter. Peter was laughing yet seemed worried about being discovered as he wasn't as skilful with a wand as his friends, James and Sirius's faces were red and Remus was laughing until he saw Sirius taking Ali by her waist and spinning her while kissing her cheek.

"That was wonderful!" he said as he repeatedly kissed her in the cheek, and tried to kiss her elsewhere every now and then.

A group of girls passed by them and begun calling Ali names that she didn't even know existed. That made the laughter in the group resurface. As Sirius was getting a bit to touchy she managed to wiggle away from him, much to his displeasure she succeeded. Yet the moment she was on the ground James did the exact same thing, except for the kissing part.

"Ali?" Lily said amused as she left the dinning hall "Um, we are going to be late to potions"

"I'll be right there" She turned to James the moment she deciphered the look in Lily's face. "Thank me later, but I think I just helped you earn some points with Lily"

James face went bright pink and a cheeky smile invaded his face "Oh Ali I could kiss you!" He almost shouted.

"I think Sirius has kissed me enough for the four of you" She said while looking sideways at Sirius who was smiling sheepishly. She left with that.

"Um, Padfoot?"

"Yeah Prongs?" Sirius said still a little dumbstruck at what had just happened, after all he had waited six years to do what he had done. He hadn't actually kissed her like he wanted to, but that was a start.

"You better run, Moony is looking at you like you were his pray"

Sirius turned to find a ragged-breathed Remus with slit eyes.

"You don't need to tell me twice mate" He said as he sprang as fast as he could.

Twenty minutes later the two of them emerged into professor's Slughorn's classroom looking tattered and breathing hard.

"Mr Black, Mr Lupin, you are late, fortunately you are on time to find who your partners will be"

"What happened to them?" Ali mouthed to James who only laughed and pointed at her. She looked confused and he only laughed at her silently and shook his head.

"We will be brewing one of the most dangerous type of potion there is" After some 'ooh's' professor Slughorn continued "Love potions"

_Great_ Ali thought sarcastically, strangely enough so did Remus.

"As I call your names I want you to group with your partners and discuss which love potion you'll brew and then you will tell me by the end of the class, be creative because I don't want any repetitions. This project you will have until the end of this year, therefore it will carry half of your mark"

"I think I already know which one I want" Lily whispered softly.

"What a shocker Lil" Ali said mocking her friend.

She always laughed at her being so enthusiastic about potions, Ali liked potions as well and was a proud member of the slug club herself, but she wasn't the apple in Slughorn's eyes like Lily, she was just another student he liked.

"Tut tut Miss Williams, Miss Evans" he said yet he didn't take points away from them. "Let's see: Mr Longbottom Miss Lovelace" Lily elbowed Ali as Frank and Alice were placed together "Mr Potter Miss Evans" Lily's smile disappeared; she was shocked, yet Ali noticed she was not disgusted. She looked back at James who smiled at her, Lily blushed. "Mr Black Miss Jameson" Ali almost bit her lip not to laugh as she knew that Rita Jameson was the fake blond Sirius had snogged the other day. Ali looked at him to find a rather crushed Sirius, he hated to be partnered with her, yet he was also crushed as he had expected to be paired with the girl that was laughing at him.

"You are enjoying this way too much, I can't wait to see who you are paired with" Joked Lily, Slughorn had already went through almost the entire list before she reached her, expectancy was increasing by every second.

"Miss Williams, Mr Lupin"

_Fuck you karma _was all Ali thought before moving to Remus's table.

"Hi" she said shyly, she hadn't felt this uncomfortable with him ever since second year when he had found her changing in the lake.

The laughter that had avoided them from being uncomfortable before had faded and they were on their own.

"Hey" he answered. "What's on your mind?" he tried not to look as nervous as he was.

"Full version or summary?" She sighed.

"I meant about the potion, but you can fill me in the full version later if you like" He added a little fidgety, yet charmingly.

"I would love to" _He doesn't seem uncomfortable, maybe this wasn't that bad_.

"I've got it!" She said after five minutes of both of them reading their text books.

"Yes…?"

"The true love draught!"

"The what?" for once in his life Remus Lupin had no idea about a school subject, maybe if he didn't kept distracting himself with his partner…

"You drink the potion, if you aren't in love it you will be 'in love' with the first person you see, but if you are already in love it will only taste like lemonade and it will have no effect on you"

"Ali that's brilliant!"

"Please don't sound so surprised for my pride's sake!" She mocked and gave him a small punch in his arm, yet unwillingly her hand lingered a little longer, making both of them straighten up.

_Well perhaps things are a tad uncomfortable…_

"Isn't it lovely?" Ali said as she pointed at Sirius and Rita with her chin trying to change the subject.

Rita was hovering all over Sirius, who for the first time in his life felt uncomfortable while a girl was throwing herself at his feet. He kept pretending to read and write whereas all he did was cover his face and steal a glance or two towards them.

Remus and Ali could barely hold their laughter as Sirius mouthed a "Help me"

"A butter beer that he springs out of his sit faster than you did the other day " Ali set her hand for a bet.

"No way, he will toss the cauldrons as he moves, he will try to lunge for either of us and pretend to talk as he drags us along"

He shook her hand and a bet was made.

"How do you know that he will toss a cauldron?" She eyed him suspiciously

"Because I hurt his left leg" He smiled knowingly.

"Why?"

"He's too touchy" He had looked down before answering, but as she met his gaze he gave her a crooked smile that made her blush.

Knowing what he meant she laughed at him, yet the frickin' blush wouldn't go, neither would Remus's proud smirk.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

Perhaps Marauders had a secret code that allowed them to see what the other was thinking or what the other would do. Yes, if you have already guessed, Remus won the bet.

As soon as Slughorn had dismissed the class Sirius had staggered tripping over Lily and throwing the cauldron to his left. He instantly fished Ali's arm and led her out. Ali took Remus's hand on her way out dragging him with her.

"You really are going to make girls in this school hate me!" She said as she rearranged her leather rucksack. It wasn't until she tried to pass the second strip through her other arm that she realized that Remus still had a hold of her hand, and wasn't planning to let go of it.

The moment he saw her looking up at him like that he let her hand go though, getting cold feet.

"I can't believe neither of you came to my aid! And you call yourselves friends!" Sirius said as he threw himself to the couch in the common room.

"What did you expect us to do? Hey Rita scoot over my friend here is afraid of you and your fake big boobs!" The way Ali had said so made every ounce of anger ooze out of Sirius's body with his laughter and Remus to bend with a fit of hysterical laughter.

"What?" She said while laughing herself, all she received was more laughter. "I hate you"

"Oh sush you love us" Sirius added.

"Yeah maybe" She added lightly as she sat across from them and opened a book in her lap.

As she read she didn't realize the smile she had left in one of the boy's face, a smile that wouldn't fade anytime soon. To his eyes she wasn't his just friend any longer, though he wondered if she had ever been _just_ that.

Suddenly something struck Ali.

"What time is it?" She asked as she panicked.

"Six twenty five " Answered Remus concerned, "why?"

"SHIT!" she said as she run up to her room, returned in a blink with a robe that resembled Madame Pomfrey's "I'm starting my advanced Mediwitch training today and I have five minutes to get to the infirmary SHI-!" She yelled the last part of it almost all the way down the portrait hole.

"Strange bird that is" Sirius said as he looked at where she had just sat "pretty feathers though"

Her mediwitch training developed so fluently that after three months had passed Ali had been told by Madam Pomfrey that as she apparently was a natural she would be helping her after quiditch matches and duelling lessons, and she also mentioned something about a night watch every other night.

"Dear lord Ali the woman is draining the life out of you!" James mocked at Ali's looks after one of the night watches Poppy had made her endure. Her hair was messier than it usually was, even messier than James! Which was something to say. Her beautiful eyes were tired and there were black bags below them.

She had spent most of her school year with the Marauders so she had no problem about them messing with her with her looks, after all besides from Lily, they probably were her best friends, except for Peter, she didn't trust him.

"Please scoot over, too tired too climb stairs" She said to Remus who was sitting in the loveseat by the fire. He smiled at her with true amazement and care. He could never say no to her.

After three months the awkwardness between them had vanished, she was sure that they were close to flirting at times, but most of the time they acted as friends.

Remus did as told and even handed Ali a blanket, which she thanked with a smiley gruff. As he moved she placed a pillow in one of the ends of the sofa and surrendered to her sleep. The voices of her friends soon disappeared and she heard feet climbing up the stairs. As she settled she felt someone pulling her feet from the ground and placing them on top of the sofa. After that she felt a pair of lips kissing her forehead. She opened as she heard the last pair of feet climbing up the stairs, the feet that belonged to her midnight (actually four thirty am) kisser. She was glad as she saw the tall, muscular figure go up the stairs. A scared hand moving inside his tawny hair.

"Goodnight to you to Remus" she whispered to herself.

"They look so cute when they sleep" Ali woke up to Sirius mocking voice. She opened one eye at a time to find the four marauders in front of her.

"What time is it?" She asked grumpily.

"A quarter to nine" Peter answered kindly. Though Ali still didn't like him.

"Why would you wake me? Please let me rot and die until noon"

"We couldn't do that, you are too pretty to perish" Said Sirius.

"I have my wand-"

"How can you be so sure?" Answered Sirius.

"I can still perform dangerous wandless magic Padfoot" she said in the verge of murdering someone.

"I didn't want to do this, but I must _Aguamenti_" Sirius said wand pointed at Ali.

"WHAT THE-?" She said as she stared at her wet face and body, even her shirt was damp now and beginning to turn into see-through.

"A wonderful unexpected consequence" Sirius had called it.

She only hit him, but his weren't the only eyes to widen and gawk at her.

"WAIT TILL I GET YOU, YOU SMELLY WEASEL! " She yelled as she ran towards him.

Sirius himself and the other Marauders were surprised at Ali's speed, who had managed to get to the quiditch field on time to catch Sirius and retrieve her wand.

"_Rictusempra!_" She yelled before storming back to the common room. "And whoever releases him will receive something worst!"

Twenty minutes later she appeared in the dinning hall looking fresh, and poised as ever, even though those who knew her where aware of the malicious glint in her eye. She had taken a shower and magically removed the bags beneath her eyes making her face go back to its usual beauty. She had changed into skinny jeans a olive sweater and a black scarf.

She took a seat by the Marauders as Lily was no where to be seen and Alice was in a date with Frank.

"I hate you all, do you know that?" She said while buttering a bun.

"Coffee?" Remus offered sheepishly.

"_That_ is the right way to make amends, I'd love some" She smiled at him, yet her eyes were narrow as she fixed her glare at Sirius "I still remember saying that whoever released him would receive something worst"

"You'll never know who did it" Sirius said with a childish smile.

"I know it was Remus" She blurted and smiled at the four confused faces.

"How did you know?" Remus eyed her suspiciously.

"I wouldn't worry about that my dear Remus, I would worry about my repercussions" As she finished her coffee she looked at Sirius "What did you wake me up for?"

"We have something to show you" Remus answered instead of Sirius. "Ready when you are"

"Ready" she said with an unusual smile, obviously trying to hide her excitement.

"You may open your eyes" Said Sirius who took his hands from Ali's eyes.

All Ali found was a battered parchment in James hands.

"Um" She looked at Remus, who laughed at her expression.

"Take out your wand" She did as told, "Tap the parchment and say 'I solemnly swear I'm up to no good'"

She did as told again and her eyes widened as she saw the Marauders map unfolding before her.

_"Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers_

_are proud to present_

_THE MARAUDER'S MAP"_

"The Word proud hardly describes the feeling inside me" She said as she admired the moving figures inside it. "When did you do it?"

"Last year, productive summer if you have to ask" answered Sirius with a cocky smile.

"Why are you showing it to me?"

"Because in the past few months you became one of us" James said and Sirius faked a tear running down his cheek.

"Thank you guys, this is, uh-" she said awkwardly hardly knowing what to say.

"Dear lord you are even worst than me in this things" Said Remus as he laughed at her and held her in a close hug.

"And they say I'm touchy" Sirius said as they entered the castle again, his face a little annoyed.

It was now usual that the others would walk ahead of them whereas Ali and Remus walked two steps behind.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything" Remus said with his brow frowned in concern, yet hope present in his eyes.

"Would y-" a screaming Lily interrupted her question.

"There you are! You have to come now, some Slytherins got into a fight with Frank and Alice is hysterical!" Lily said as she pulled Ali's sleeve

Ali and Lily begun running, a bunch of confused marauders, which was a rare sight, behind them.

A crowd of Slytherins were circling a Slytherin git and a bloody and bruised Frank who stood valiantly with his wand in hand even though he was about to faint.

"Expelliarmus" Ali screamed as she made her way inside the circle, making the guy that was fighting Frank fly a few meters.

Lily was holding a sobbing Alice when the marauders arrived

"Get lost Gryffindor, it's not your fight" The guy snarled.

"Oh but it is theirs isn't it?" she said while pointing at the other Slytherins. "Two options, let us go without a fight and be happy or we'll go anyway and you won't be as lucky" She added defiantly.

"Bring it on" Said the same guy that she had made fly said.

The three of them were surprised at the way Ali was speaking, even Alice and Lily widened their eyes a bit, and they had known her since first year.

"We have to help her" Remus said as he begun to enter the circle, yet Lily stopped him.

"Don't worry she can handle them" She said with a knowing smile, yet James, Sirius and Remus had their wands in hand. Peter always seemed to disappear when there was a fight.

"_Aresto momentum_" Ali stopped the rock the guy had levitated towards her and made it fall slowly behind her. They boy snarled in displeasure. One of the Slytherins in the crowd threw a fire blazing spell at her and she deflected, redirecting it towards it's sender. That boy said goodbye to his eyebrows. "_Bombarda!_" Of course she didn't hit either of the Slytherins directly (because it would imply that she would have to heal them in the infirmary), she only hit the ground, luckily they were struck close enough that they flew some feet away, making them leave for good.

The three Marauders were looking at her with their mouths agape, she was probably the best duellist they had ever laid eyes upon, and that was something as they had had more than a few duels themselves.

"Told you" Lily said as Alice ran towards Frank.

"_Tergeo_" she dried the blood from the wound in his shoulder. "_Vulnera sanentur_" She repeated as she healed the same wound in Franks shoulder and several other cuts in his arms and chest. Once she was done with the blood loss she moved to the other injuries "_Episkey_" She healed Frank's broken nose and lip. "_Ferula_" she restored his broken wrist.

"Whatever did they do to you?" She asked Frank worried.

"It was a new spell, sectum something, with that they cut me, the other they did with blasting curses" He said faintly, some of the blood had returned to his face yet he had still lost a lot of blood.

"Are you going to stare at me or will you help me?" She yelled at her friends who were still frozen. She wondered if they weren't getting uncomfortable in that position, at least five to eight minutes had passed before she was done.

"_Levicorpus_" Remus acted before anyone else. "To the infirmary right?" Ali nodded.

They practically ran to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey was taking care of some of the Slytherins Ali had injured. Some of their faces even flinched when they saw her.

_Are Slytherins afraid of me? Thumbs up me_.

The moment madam Pomfrey saw Frank she let the scrapes she was healing.

"The other side of the fight" Ali said with distaste at the Slytherins.

She saw a couple of them snicker so she shot them a furious glance, instantly they shut up.

Remus gave her an approving nod and smile. As if on cue Alice, Lily, James and Sirius entered

"Thank Merlin you where there child, I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't" Pomfrey said disturbed and Alice begun to sob by Frank's side. Then Poppy glanced at the Slytherins with an angry expression in her face "Get out, there is nothing more for me to heal in you"

"Can't you do anything for rotten souls and brains Poppy?" Sirius lightened the mood a bit.

"Unfortunately no" She said with true grief.

"You may go and eat child, I can stay with him now" Poppy said as she sat by Frank's bed.

She had dismissed everyone but Ali about four or five hours ago, Alice almost fought her way to stay, but Poppy Pomfrey could be a rather scary woman when she wanted to.

"Okay, see you later Frank" she said even though she knew he was asleep.

"Alice stop sobbing! See there comes Ali you can ask her how Frank is if you won't believe me!" Said Lily with concern; Alice had cried more water than the one her petite body could hold.

Almost every face in the room turned to look at her, news traveled fast, and not only had she beaten a group of Slytherins, but she was also the only mediwitch her age. Nods of approval and taps on the back were what she got from her fellow Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, some Ravenclaws had smiled at her, but many of them had sided with the Slytherins who just stared at her.

"Okay, that was awkward" She tried to smile but she was tired. "OW! ALICE YOU ARE GOING TO SUFFOCATE-" She tried to say while Alice hugged her, concerned Sirius managed to take Alice away from her.

"Thanks Sirius"

"ALI THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU SAVED HIM YO-YOU ARE WONDERFUL! I AM GLAD I HAVE YOU AS A FRIEND! YOU ARE AN AMAZING DUELIST AND AN EVEN BETTER MEDIWITCH I PRO-" Alice was stopped by Ali's hand.

"Alice it's okay, it was nothing really" She smiled reassuringly at her while a pink blush invaded her face. She honestly didn't know why everybody was making this such a big deal. "By the way I brought you this" She said while handing Alice a small vial. "You can't expect to cry as much as you did without having repercussions, I bet you feel week and nauseated already" As Alice looked downward she realized she was right. "Drink it all, it tastes disgusting, yet it will help"

"Thanks" she said with her usual voice and smile.

"Please not you as well!" She said as she saw James, Sirius and Remus looking at her differently. She hid her face between her palms.

"Hun the way people looked at you before is a good thing" Said Lily slightly amused. "It's called admiration you know"

"We didn't know you had that inside you, I mean I always knew you had spunk, but the way you fought? That was something else love" Sirius said with a proud face.

"Yeah and the way you stood up against that gang of Slytherins? That takes some major courage" Finished James.

Ali's face was almost as bright red as a tomato, she hated all this attention, she knew the compliments were intended to be good and her friends where being honest to her, yet this wasn't the type of scenario she felt comfortable in.

"Aren't you going to add something as well?" she mocked Remus, who had only been staring at her.

"Only that you are amazing" he said with a fond smile.

"Hun you are almost as red as my hair!" said Lily while laughing.

Remus last comment had made it for her, but now she wasn't blushing because she was embarrassed, but because she was nervous.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six

"So" Sirius started ash they sat by the fire "who's leaving for the holidays?"

The four Marauders sat by the fire in the common room, Lily and Ali were there as well, Alice was with Frank, who had been dismissed two days ago from the infirmary after staying for half a week. Lily sat by James side in the love sit, which three months ago would have been almost ridiculous, yet lately had been a common sight as they had been 'bonding'. James could hardly believe it was happening, all the years of begging had worked out for him.

Ali who had been like a mentor to James sat by Remus in a cushion. They were wrapped in a blanket as she was freezing, yet he wasn't but would oblige her still. Peter was in a chair by the couch in which Sirius was stretched luxuriously, eying at the pair in the cushion ever so often.

Only Peter and Lily raised their hands. The Marauder had already discussed the fact that Peter was leaving as a flaw in the Marauder's pact as they had sworn to stay by Remus's side in his time of the month, which was during the holidays. They had understood the fact that things at the Pettigrew's household weren't rather jolly, so they let it go.

"What is your excuse for staying?" Said Sirius pointing at Ali.

"I just couldn't live two weeks without you" Ali joked and placed the back of her hand in her forehead like a distressed damsel.

"Tell me something I don't know love" Sirius winked at her and she rolled her eyes.

"My parents are travelling and I would rather be here than stay home alone during the holidays"

"You know you can still come to my house" Lily said.

"Sweetie I think your sister and I have had enough confrontations for a year, I don't think I would be very welcomed after what I did" She said wincing yet she smiled at the memory.

"Please my parents said she had it coming, plus they thought that it was rather amusing the way you had turned her hair green, they said it brought life back to her face" Lily said as she laughed at what Ali had done.

"What?" James said laughing confused.

"You know I have a volatile character" Ali said with a proud face "While sweet Lily dismissed her sister's critiques about our kind I cracked, I lasted a week though, but Petunia's hair color lasted a month" the last part she added with a malicious smile.

Sirius, Remus and James begun laughing.

"Please come I can't stand her and that horrible boyfriend, they look at me as if I were a creep"

"Really? Out of the three of you they think you are the creep?" Ali snorted, "You could always mention that I'll stay during the summer, that will calm her down" Ali laughed.

"You, Rosalie Williams, have a dark side that we weren't aware of, you should show it more" Mocked Sirius.

"Trust me you don't want to know her dark side" Said Lily, making the group laugh.

"I would be hurt, but she is right" Ali said shrugging. "What is_ your _excuse for staying though?"

"Nor Padfoot or Moony could really live without you and I have to stay so as to see that they don't tare each other apart over you" Said James with an honest voice even though he was lying, yet not completely…

Ali begun laughing, yet Lily looked at both of the accused suspiciously, specially the one by her best friend's side, and laughed with Ali. Sirius was laughing alongside Ali yet there was something in the way that he did so that proved that that could happen. Remus was scarlet and looking at James as if he would be the one to be torn apart.

"I'll go and make my bag for tomorrow" Said Peter as he left "See you lot after the holidays"

"Shouldn't you be doing the same darling?" Sirius asked Lily "Or are you and Prongsy to close now to be apart? "

"How amusing Sirius" said Lily with a fake smile that hid an embarrassed smile. "If you must know Ali and I can't enter our bedroom until we see the happy couple descend"

"Oooh" Said Sirius.

James looked shocked at Lily and Remus did the same to Ali.

"Why do you all look so outraged?" Said Ali at the faces James and Sirius were putting "That one has basically deflowered half the female alumni" She pointed with her chin at the second.

"Guilty of charge" Said Sirius with a bow and a wink.

"So wh-" James had begun yet he was interrupted by a knock on the window.

There was a snow storm outside, so they thought it was a snow ball the Whopping Willow had thrown their way, but as Ali saw the light grey and golden figure outside it she opened the window immediately letting her barred owl in.

"Dash?" Ali said as she took her owl in. She instantly took her sweater off placing it around her shivering owl "You poor thing you are freezing" As she caressed her, the owl pressed against her chest and hooted pleasantly. Ali took the small parchment that had been placed in her owl's paw. "_Engrogio_"

"Ali? What is it?" Remus asked concerned at the expression in Ali's face.

"What?" She was confused then zoomed back to reality "Oh it's nothing" Ali smiled and took.

"Do you mind if I take some paper and a quill from your room?" She asked Remus and he instantly shook her head.

Ali set Dash on the only couch available and went to look for the paper and quill.

"What was that all about?" James asked Lily concerned.

"I have no idea" she answered with an equally concerned face.

Ali had stayed in that table writing manically during the entire evening. The four friends looked at her concerned every now and then, but she wouldn't look back.

Even after Frank had left and Lily returned to her room Ali had stayed, she was the last to go to sleep, and the first to leave the common room.

Ali had not seen Hogwarts that empty before, Alice and Lily had left that morning with Frank, Peter and most of Hogwarts students, only the three Marauders, some first years, a couple of Hufflepuffs and Ali were left with the teachers. Oh and a Slytherin was left as well…

"Williams" He said nodding as he sat in front of her in the library.

"Are we really going to pretend we hate each other?" Ali said with a smile playing on her lips and a cocked eyebrow.

"How do you know it's pretense?" he answered dryly.

"Because until last year we were close friends…"

"That was before-" the cold mask had slipped away from his face, revealing what Ali and Lily used to see while talking to him unlike everyone else.

"Oh Severus stop it, I know it was a mistake, a stupid one at that, but a mistake still"

"Does she know it as well?" he asked with a sad smile, hope in his eyes.

"Of course she does, it's just difficult for her…"

"Good, so how have you been?" He said with a sad expression in his eyes, yet with a smile trying to be friendly.

"I've been alright, how about you?"

"Could have be better, thank you for taking the Marauders out off my back" He said with an honest smile.

In the entire time that Ali had been with the Marauders she had managed to get them out of Severus's sight, avoiding them to pester and molest him. Whenever they wanted, they being James or Sirius, to bother 'Snivellus' as they called him, she would dismiss the idea, saying that it was no good and she wouldn't be involved. Strangely enough they did as she told and reconsidered.

"Any time" she winked at him mockingly. He smiled in response.

"Animagi: consequences of not transforming" Severus raised his eyes at Ali when he saw the heading of the chapter she was reading.

"Remember your promise three years ago" Ali said at him with a concerned frown and a serious voice.

"Of course" he said.

"Ali!" Sirius almost yelled earning a scowl from Madam Prince. "You should be careful with who you spend your time with"

"Jealous Black?" Smirked Snape.

"Sirius don't you dare" Ali said warningly as Sirius was about to punch Snape. "I still can choose who to be with"

Remus and James appeared behind him. Remus had a horrible face, as if he hadn't slept for a month. James was only staring at Ali and Snape.

"Never mind Ali, I'll see you later" Said Snape as he left glaring at Sirius and James.

"Really?" Ali said at Sirius.

"What?" Sirius said defensively "what are you reading?" He took the book quickly and read; yet Ali got it back quickly.

"Nothing" She said "I must go" She took the book and left.

"What was that?" Asked James.

"Animagi: consequences of not transforming" He said faintly.

"What?" Repeated James, even Remus was looking at him now.

"_That_ is what she was reading" Sirius looked at both of them.

Remus was transforming one night from now and he was feeling crappy, though the possibility that Ali was an animagus and that he could not harm her lightened his mood.

"Where are you going?" Sirius asked as she got up from dinner early.

"I- I am going to sleep, I have a night-watch tomorrow in the infirmary and I want to sleep as much as I can" She said with a happy smile.

"See you in the common room then" James eyed her suspiciously. She smiled and disappeared.

"Perhaps she was only doing research" Said Remus grumpily as he sipped his pumpkin juice which was way too sweet now that his senses were enhanced.

"Let's go see where she is going then" Said Sirius as he got up.

"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good" He said as he opened the Marauder's map. "As far as I recall our common room isn't by the black lake"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven

As soon as she had left the great hall Ali sprang towards the lake, it was the only place she thought she would be free enough to transform and relax. She was beginning to feel different, she had read that after not changing for over four months said Animagus would begin to weaken as part of him was not being manifested and therefore was beginning to perish inside of him. Ali didn't want that so she had to escape for a night and transform into her wild self. Hadn't she received the letter from her mother she would have never known what was going on with her.

As she stepped into the lake she relaxed, she had been running for a while, she was still fast thanks to her Animagus form, yet she wasn't as fast as before. Ali cracked her neck and then the transformation took place. She could remember the first time she had transformed, it had been extremely painful, she could not believe she hadn't cried as she had only been thirteen at the time, apparently the experience had been too exiting and much needed for her to worry about pain. Every single hair in her body turned white, her legs and arms now had paws instead of hands or feet, and her green eyes had turned blue. She wiggled her tail missing the feeling and she let her toung out of her snout. Ali narrowed her eyes as she heard the voice of her friend coming over.

"A white wolf, how peculiar" Said Sirius looking at Remus, who still had a trashed face, yet hope was glistening in his eyes.

Ali begun growling at them, which she couldn't avoid, it was the way in which she felt.

"You are box fool of surprises Ali" Said Sirius again.

Defeated Ali transformed back into her lovely human self. Yet an angry scowl was present in her face.

_They wanted to meet my dark side, well here it goes…_

"You followed me?!" She yelled "What on earth were you thinking?"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Said James.

"Oh no, I asked first, why on earth did you follow me?" Neither of them spoke, not even Sirius "Isn't anybody allowed to have a secret here? and don't you dare using puppy eyes on me, I'm seriously mad!" She said while strutting towards their common room.

"Great, we blew it" Said Remus partially handling his throbbing headache and hand ache as he had hit a tree in sign of his frustration.

"Chill Moony, we'll talk to her" Said James, Remus only growled in response.

_A white wolf, a wolf, that is her animagus form, a wolf…_

Ali had stormed inside the common room undressing in the way up the stairs as she had left the marauders way behind and no other Gryffindor had stayed.

"Stupid prats" She mumbled along with "gits" "nosey arses" and "slimy balls"

She changed into her cozy pajamas and sweater and set for bed.

"Oh damn it" she said as she couldn't sleep, changing always had such a thrill in her.

To top her night she heard a knock on the door.

"Unless you bring half Honeydukes with you don't you even bother coming in!" She yelled grumpily.

"Sorry we don't" Said Sirius as he came in with an apologetic smile. He was on 'cute mode'

"Well…" She said as she crossed her arms and sat on her bed. Sirius and James sat in the other extreme of the bed as well.

"We are sorry, we didn't know it was something that personal to you" Said James.

"Well it is"

"Don't feel so important love, you are not the only animagus in this room" Said Sirius. "Actually there is no one in the room who isn't one"

"Really, you two?" She said with a smile.

"Our pride hurts" Mocked Sirius. "Why are you so surprised?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that" she laughed, she wanted to take this out of her chest, it was killing her and she knew she could trust them "It's just, the conditions for which I turned at a young age weren't exactly the best…"

"Would you like to tell us?" Said James as he understood they had been forgiven, empathy was clear in his face.

"You should never speak of this with anyone," they nodded so they proceeded. "When I was thirteen, my dad he was" She stopped " my dad was bitten by a werewolf" both of their eyes widened "He wanted to leave, saying that it was what was best for my family, yet both my mother and I refused. We all did our part, my mom brew the wolfsbane, which allowed my father not to loose consciousness after he transformed. It helped yet every week when there was a full moon my dad left, the loneliness was killing him, and I missed my dad so I transformed so as to join him, werewolves only attack humans, so I was safe"

"Why didn't your mother change?" Asked James.

"She was pregnant with Annaleigh at the time, so it was dangerous for her, besides I knew I could do it, I wanted to"

James and Sirius smiled widely at her, yet their eyes were sad. She was exactly who they though she was, and even better. Her reasons had been the same as theirs, yet hers had been more noble, as she had to go through the excruciating process when she was much was younger than them. They wondered how she had managed to do so at said age as they had only accomplished to change last year.

"You weren't afraid of him?" Asked Remus who was now standing by the door.

James and Sirius looked concerned at each other and then at Remus.

"Of course not he was my father" She said offended.

"So you didn't think he had turned into a monster?" he kept asking.

"It wasn't his fault he was bitten by some low-life werewolf who didn't care about the repercussions. I wouldn't have turned into an animagus if I had thought he was a monster, I love him"

"You could love a werewolf?" The hope and despair in his voice almost hurt James and Sirius's ears, yet they were inexistent to Ali.

"As much as I could love anyone else" She answered determined looking at him in the eye. "You should drink this" Ali said to Remus after a few seconds had passed. She docked and looked into her bag, where she kept her potions.

"What is it?" Remus said as he came closer.

"It's for the pain" Panic came to Remus's face. "You have head and body ache don't you?"

"Yes" he looked relieved at the fact that she didn't mean transformation pains.

"Then drink this" She handed him the vial. "Remus I won't repeat it again" She shook the vial as he wouldn't take it.

"Thanks" He said with a weak smile, she returned it but then yawned. "Would you like us to leave?" the smile became weaker.

"Actually Moony I was about to propose a sleepover" Said Sirius mischievously. James and Remus looked at Ali for confirmation.

"Are you serious?" His smiled widened. "There are three available beds so I guess … it's fine by me" she shrugged.

"Brilliant" Sirius said as he settled in one of the beds.

"Wouldn't you prefer to wear your pajamas" she said as the three of them still were wearing jeans. "I swear I won't laugh if they have flowers or teddy bears" She mocked.

"What if I told you I don't sleep in pajamas?" Said Sirius sultrily.

"Really? Should we go back to me hexing you?" She said making James and even Remus laugh.

"Fine" He said looking disappointed "You are no fun"

Remus, James and Sirius left to change into their PJ's. As they were changing James and Sirius couldn't help but to see Remus's goofy smile under his mask of pain.

"You should at least try to hide the smirk mate" Said James. "Now that you'll start acting like you had a shot you should try to show some respect for the fallen" He mocked while pointing at Sirius.

"Nothing is lost yet Prongs, I'll be watching you though" He said while pointing at his eyes and at Remus, and at Remus and his eyes again.

_"As much as I could love anyone else"_

Those words echoed in his head the entire night and the girl who was asleep in the bed beside his invaded his sleep. Dreaming with her was a nice change from the horrid nightmares that he usually had during the week of his transformation.

_As much as I could love anyone else…_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

"Why do you always wake up this early?" Ali said against her pillow.

It was nine am when they woke her up and they were on vacations. Sirius had already changed and James was sitting in Lily's bed, which he had chosen on purpose, already changed. The only ones still in bed where Ali and Remus who were in continuous beds.

"Honestly Ali you are almost as grumpy as Moony in the morning" Sirius said mockingly.

Remus threw a pillow at Sirius hitting him in the head and making him fall in the bed. Ali laughed and handed Remus another cushion so that he could be more comfortable after loosing his only pillow in combat. He smiled at her and they both covered themselves to continue sleeping. The were both facing each other, neither of them would close their eyes, not even Remus, to whom light was killing.

"Maybe we should let them sleep a while longer, you proved that neither of them is a joy ride after not sleeping" James said while eying Remus with a smirk.

"I'm not leaving them alone" Said Sirius in a solemn tone.

Remus smiled at that. Sirius had never felt threatened by him because of a girl before, actually he was sure it was the first time Sirius had ever felt threatened by anyone. Remus's smile widened.

"Stop whining you already made me loose my sleep" Said Ali as she stretched.

"See what I have to put up with every morning?" Remus said groggily at her.

"My condolences my dear friend" She said with a smile. "I have to change if you want us to go you know"

Nor Sirius or James moved. Remus did however, that's why she liked him the best, he was such a gentleman…

"You are not expecting me to change in front of you are you?" Sirius gave her a wicked grin. "LEAVE" She said laughing yet with an incredulous tone.

"You are looking much better mate" James said while he looked at Remus.

"I feel better as well" Remus said with a surprised smile

Usually in the day in which he changed he barely wanted to move, or could move for that matter, yet today he was feeling as if he only had a light headache. His muscles weren't throbbing as they usually did and even his senses weren't as annoyingly sharp as always. What did the potion Ali had given him have?

"Maybe love _is_ the answer" Mocked James. "For both of you" he said also looking at Sirius

A second later Ali descended from the stairs that led to the girl's rooms.

"What are we talking about?" She said perkily.

"Nothing" the three of them answered at the time.

"And you say _I_ am a strange bird" She mocked at Sirius as she put on her scarf so as to leave, it was freezing outside.

"Really? In third year?" Ali said as Sirius smirked "I underestimated you my friend"

"What can I say it's a superpower" he shrugged with pride and Ali almost choked with her toast. "I'm glad to see you are feeling better" She said at Remus who was very much enjoying his food.

"Yes, thanks to you I guess" It had been a week since he had enjoyed food, so the cereals he was eating seemed a luxurious meal to him "By the way what did-" He begun as he was interrupted.

"Ali?" A tall seventh year Ravenclaw said as he taped her shoulder.

"Hi Ryan" She said a little awkwardly, which made Sirius, James and Remus look confused.

"I was wondering if you would like to go to hogsmeade with me later" He said with a charming smile.

Ryan was definitely one of the most handsome boys in Hogwarts. He had a strong muscly frame and a pretty face with shiny blue eyes and brown curly hair that seemed fit for a shampoo commercial. Yet he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

The confused expression in Sirius and Remus's face evolved into something else.

"Thank, um, but I don't really think it's a good idea"

Ryan's expression changed.

"So the rumors are true then" he said looking at the rest of the Marauders. "It can't be Potter, he is head over heals Evans, and you have better taste that Pettigrew" He looked at Sirius and Remus who were by the other's side "So it must be one of you then"

"What on earth are you talking about?" Ali asked confused. "What rumors?"

"That you are dating one of the Marauders, that's why you've been spending so much time with them"

James looked at Remus and Sirius who were red and smirking. Ali however wasn't smirking.

"WHAT?" "Uh, no, I've been spending time with them because they are my friends, not because I'm dating one of them!" She almost yelled the last part. She hated rumors, she had always thought they ruined what could happen in reality.

"Then why won't you go out with me?" He said while placing his hand on top of hers.

"Are you kidding me? Don't you remember what happened last time we dated?"

_LAST TIME YOU WHAT? _Both Remus and Sirius thought.

"Oh come on babe, that was three years ago, let's live the present" he moved his hand from hers to her cheek, which he begun caressing. She took his hand in a matter of seconds.

"Live the present?" She put a mixture between an angry face and a smirk "Wait a minute, aren't you dating Janelle Collins?"

"For you sweet cakes I'll dump her in a minute" He gave her a crooked smile.

"Get out of my sight before I give you a permanent stinging hex!" She said with the same face as before.

Ryan left with a disappointed face and with his hands in his pockets.

"Dear merlin" She said as she placed her face in her hands. "What?" She said as she saw her friend's faces.

"_Babe?_" Said James

"_Sweet cakes?_" Continued Remus.

"Oh come on as if you've never made a mistake"

"YOU SAID YES TO _THAT_ AND NO TO ME?" He said in disbelief.

"It wasn't one of my finest hours, I was younger and more stupid and depressed by the way, and he was cute and came to comfort me, had you done the same instead of sticking your toung down Dawn Spinet's throat and I would have said yes to you to that day" She said matter of factly.

"Fucking Dawn Spinet" He said under his breath with actual anger.

"I'm sure you did that as well" She mocked making the three of them laugh.

"To be honest I would have traded with Dumb Ryan even if I had been doing so" he said honestly.

"Yeah right" She said in suspiciously before sipping her coffee.

"What did he do to you anyway that was so horrid that you couldn't go out with him again?" Asked James.

"Well, on our third date he took me to head's hog one weekend and while he said he was going to fetch me another butter beer he" She shook her head in denial "Well he took a lot of time before returning so I went to see what was going on, and found him making out " The eyebrows of her friends raised "with no less than Madam Jink herself"

James, Sirius and Remus began howling with laughter at her.

"Stop laughing at me! I still can't look at her in the eye while buying a quill" She had turned bright pink. Madam Jink was one of the women that tended the quill's business in Honeydukes

"No _Sweet cakes_ we are not laughing at you" Said Sirius without controlling his laughter. "We are laughing at him"

"Um… care to explain why?"

"Ali hadn't you noticed that Madam Jink looks an awful lot like Mister Kelt, the owner of the shop?" Said Remus with the crooked smile she loved.

"Wait, what? No- NO!" After a confirmation look from Sirius Ali exploded with laughter "Oh my god! You just made me the happiest girl alive" She hugged the three of them almost choking one of them at a time.

"Please tell me you didn't feel bad because that git had switched you?" Said James, laughter still present in his voice.

"Of course I did, for less than a day, but I still did. No girl likes to be replaced, less when you are fourteen"

"Oh please, you actually cried over Ryan Dumbhead Dimns?" Asked Sirius with a wide smile.

"Of course I didn't cry! I had only three dates with him, well two and a half actually" She said when what they had just told her went back to surface and she begun laughing again "Please can I tell him? Pleeeeease?" She pleaded; she would love to see his face.

"You really have an evil side don't you?" Asked Remus amused.

"I am a box full of surprises remember" She smiled at Remus and then winked at Sirius, who had said that exact phrase the night before.

"Are you depressed enough to say yes to me now?" joked Sirius "I can comfort you"

Ali was about to hit Sirius's arm, yet Remus did so before her.

"Well thank you Remus," She gave him a fond smile, which strangely enough he returned with a wink that made her cheeks turn a light shade of pink. "And no, I'm not depressed enough, besides my mind doesn't work the same way it did when I was fourteen" She said while laughing.

As they passed by Ryan on the hallway Ali couldn't help but to start laughing, she had to bury her face in Remus's arm, who was besides her so as to not fill the entire dinning hall with her laughter.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

"Come on mate" James said to a shattered and passed out Remus. "Padfoot help me with his other side"

"I hate that fucking tree" He said looking at his cut leg. "Take the other side I can't step properly with my left leg"

"Ali?" Asked James surprised as he found her in the infirmary. She wasn't supposed to be there, she couldn't see Remus.

"James?" She said mocking him.

"Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Night-watch" She looked behind him and saw Remus and a bleeding Sirius. "Put them in those beds, Madame Pomfrey will be here in a minute" she was worried yet she kept cool as her mentor had taught her.

"I can still limp Prongs, thank you very much" Said Sirius as James had offered to charge him after they had placed Remus on a bed.

"You are here!" Said Poppy as she emerged from the hallway after being called because of an emergency. Her eyes widened in panic as she noticed Ali was still there, she had forgotten that she had given her a night watch that day. "Ali! You are dismissed now, go"

"It looks like you will need help with that" She said as she looked at both Sirius's leg and Remus. "Don't worry I've got experience"

Pomfrey looked at James and Sirius for confirmation, as they were the closest to Remus's point of view. Both of them nodded.

"Fine, I'll take care of him for now, you tend his knee" She smiled weekly before proceeding quickly to Remus. She closed a curtain around his bed.

"You wouldn't wear one of those muggle nurse uniforms would you?" Said Sirius with a kinky smile.

"Not now Sirius" She said with a smile as she took out her wand, yet her eyes wandered to the bed behind the curtain.

"He'll be fine" Said Sirius with a reassuring tone.

"I know he will" She smiled at him before starting to chant the healing charms.

"Are you okay?" She looked at James, who was also looking at Remus's bed.

"Huh? Yeah the whopping willow missed me"

"Good" She said as she put a bandage in Sirius's leg.

"It's nice waking up by your side every morning" Said Remus as he observed Ali who had set a couch by his bed. She smiled tenderly at him.

Pomfrey had dismissed Sirius and James the moment after she had stabilized Remus. As she knew that she could trust Ali and she had seen her a lot with Remus, she left her taking care of him.

For the first time in weeks she and Remus had slept up till noon.

"How are you feeling?" She said concerned. She placed a hand in his forehead so as to see if he had fever, he was basically flying with it. As she was about to move to get the fever purgent he took hold of her hand and placed it in his cheek.

"Never been better" He said even though he moaned with pain a second later.

"I might have to take that back if you want me to heal you" She said referring to her hand. He let go of it with a small smile.

Ali knew that the medications he had received may make him talk more than he wanted and behave a little bolder, yet up to the moment she didn't regret so.

"Open up" She said as she made him drank the fever purgent and pain killer concoction. She moved a stray of hair from his forehead.

"You still mean that about not thinking that werewolves are monsters?" He said with a smile, yet with concern in his eyes.

_You could love a werewolf?_

_As much as I could love anyone else_

"Every single part of it"

"For how long have you known?" wincing as he read the expression in her eyes.

"Third year" She smiled at him apologetically.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I thought that I shouldn't intrude if you didn't wanted to tell me" She smiled at him. "Didn't you found it funny that after we had lost contact I always spoke to you the day after the full moon? And that I asked you about a hundred times per minute how you felt?"

"I-I didn't" he frowned confused.

"It's fine, you had more important things on your mind than me" She said with a smile.

_No, no I didn't…_

"Kind of a revealing week don't you think, you learnt my little secret, you learnt that I knew your little secret, and I learnt that Madam Jink has a little secret down below" She said and Remus begun laughing with her. "Sorry" she said as he winced in pain due to the laughter.

"Don't be, it's a good kind of pain" He smiled at her again. "Do I have to stay are can you dismiss me?"

"Madam Pomfrey said I could dismiss you once you had no fever" She touched his forehead again. "Thank Merlin that this fever purgent acts quickly, if not you'd be stuck here"

"It's not so bad" He said while getting up "I enjoy the company" he winked at her.

_The meds should have worn out by now, maybe this is the dawn of a new Remus…_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten

"You glad we didn't wake you early?" Said Sirius as Ali took a sit by him in the great hall for lunch.

"Ecstatic" She said as she put some chicken in her plate. "Where is Remus?" she asked trying to sound non-challant.

"We thought he was with you" Said Sirius

"He said he was going to look for you, he had something to say apparently" Said James.

"I haven't seen him since I dismissed him in the infirmary"

"He probably fell asleep" Added Sirius.

"Yeah, probably, do you want to go to hogsmeade with me? I have to make some last minute Christmas purchases"

Tonight was Boxing Day and professor Dumbledore had said they would be having a feast today as well as tomorrow because of the small quantity of students. Ali had promised Annaleigh some candies from Honeydukes besides from what she had already sent with Dash.

"Are you asking us out on a day?" Asked James with a playful smirk.

"Are you saying no?" She equaled his face.

"Hell no, even if it is shared I finally got what I've been chasing you for five years" Said Sirius. "My lady" he offered his arm and she took it. James did the same and so she left with both men in either side.

She bought her sister a box of Wizochoc, a box of Shock-o-choc, one of Bertie Botts every flavor beans, some exploding bonbons and a big bag of Drooble's best blowing gum. She thought that would be enough to satisfy her baby sister's sweat tooth.

"What about us? No present?" Joked Sirius.

"We'll see" She said joking as they exited the three broomsticks after a butter beer.

"Best date ever" He joked.

Ali laughed, yet not as much as she did when she spotted Ryan occasionally purchasing a quill and talking to Madam Jink. James and Sirius almost had to drag Ali as she couldn't move due to the fact she was shaking with laughter.

They had left Remus a note saying where they would be in case he wanted to join them after they had left, yet he didn't. Actually he didn't even show up to the feast. Nor James or Sirius had seen him in their room. They decided to stay for the feast and if he didn't show up they would go looking for him.

"Don't you think this is a tad weird? He isn't the type to disappear without telling someone" Ali said concerned as they finished eating

"You are right, I actually thought he would show up in any minute, let's go" Said Sirius.

"What is that smell?" Said James as they exited.

"Mistletoe" Said Ali who stood agape with a horrid expression in her eyes.

"What is it?" asked Sirius concerned.

Both of them turned around to find something they weren't expecting.

Remus had finally showed up, yet not on his own. A Ravenclaw who had been chasing him for years stopped him as he made his way towards Ali, to whom he had something to say.

"Mary Christmas"

The girl said before taking hold of his face with both of her hands. At first he resisted, yet she wouldn't let him go. Finally it seemed as he had surrendered and he begun kissing her back, his expression changing from startled to passionate.

James and Sirius turned around to find Ali looking rather crushed.

"Ali" James nearly whispered as he saw the look in her eyes.

"I, um, I must go I promised Annaleigh I would call her at midnight and it five till twelve so" Her face was crushed, and her eyes were beginning to tear, she couldn't let them see her cry so she left before they could even answer.

"You must be kidding, she bloody likes _him_ and he is there kissing Amelia Bennet? _Bloody idiot_" Sirius said with actual anger as he left for the common room behind Ali.

"This isn't right" Said James suspiciously before leaving with his friends.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Sirius yelled at Remus as he entered the bedroom, it was one in the morning when he did so as well.

"Isn't she beautiful?" He said with a idiotic smile.

"The girl you left crying? Yeah she is fucking gorgeous" Sirius had never said fuck as much as he was doing.

"Who are you talking about? I mean Amelia, she is the best"

"We are talking about Ali, the girl that used to give you that smile one day ago, remember?" James said angry still, yet not as much as Sirius.

"Ali? She is nothing but a friend now, Amelia is the only one for me, I don't understand how I didn't see this before"

"You must be kidding" Said Sirius as he jumped into bed to sleep.

Remus and James did the same.

"Where is lover boy?" Ali asked joking yet with sad eyes as she descended to meet James and Sirius in the common room.

"Gone, when we woke up he wasn't there" Said James.

"Guess he's with Amelia" She smiled "Anyway merry Christmas!" She tried to sound more cheerful. She handed both Sirius and James a present.

"Merry Christmas" James smiled at her.

"Ah so you did got us presents" Joked James.

"Of course I did, I knew I had to pay you back after you told me about Madam Jink" The sad expression in her eyes disappeared a bit and a smile found it's way to her lips.

"Merry Christmas love" he planted a gallant kiss in her cheek.

She had gotten James a Broom maintain kit as the only thing he loved almost as much as Lily was his broom. And a mischief making book to Sirius which had 50001 eye popping, hair turning and mind twisting newest tricks. They practically choked her as they hugged her with bliss.

"Too bad we didn't got you anything" Said Sirius "Oh wait, what is this?" He said as he took a large green wrapped book from behind his back.

"Oh my god, you shouldn't have bothered" Ali gaped at the book in her hands. 'The medicine guide for promising Mediwizards and Mediwitches' She knew they must have spent a fortune.

She kissed both of them in the cheek.

"Another present I see" Joked Sirius with his usual smirk.

Instead of rolling her eyes at him as she usually did she gave him a little hug. She had heard him yelling at Remus last night. He kissed the top of her head and they left for breakfast, where they found Remus siting with Amelia and some of her friends who had stayed.

"Merry Christmas" Ali heard someone saying so she turned around.

She had decided to go to the lake so as to avoid James and Sirius's pitiful looks and Remus's gleeful expression. It had been two hours already and she was glad to see Severus as she was getting tired of her own mind.

"Merry Christmas Sev" She smiled at Snape who was sitting besides her.

"Did you bring it?" He asked with a knowing smile.

"I'd never break the tradition, you?"

"Of course" He said while taking a white and green candy stick with a silver ribbon. "Marry Christmas Gryffindor"

"Marry Christmas Slytherin" She said with a smile similar to his. He handed him a red and golden candy stick with a golden ribbon.

In first year him, Lily and her had created a tradition, both Lily and her would give Severus a Gryffindor candy and Snape a Slytherin candy to them. Every year they would escape from the crowd and exchange presents.

"Ali?" Severus said before leaving. They had already talked for a couple of hours and it was beginning to get dark.

"Yep?"

"Thank for not abandoning me" He said with a weak smile.

"No problem Sev" She smiled at him, yet her eyes still had a sad expression.

"Which of them broke you heart?" He said with an angry expression.

"What?" she sighed "Am I so obvious?"

"Takes one to see one" he smiled sadly "Who was it?"

"Remus, h-he is now with Amelia Bennet"

"He is an idiot, you shouldn't feel bad about it, you knew the Marauders where trouble" He said wisely.

"Yes, but I never thought this kind of trouble" She said sadly as she looked at the black lake.

"Want me to put some stomach-turning brew in his pumpkin juice?" He said with a vicious smile that made him look a lot like Sirius. She laughed, first time in the afternoon.

"It's tempting, but if someone is going to poison him I think it's going to be me" She said with an actual smile.

"Now that's the friend I know and love" He smiled and offered his hand for her to take as he got up. "let's go it's getting late"

"Won't you be embarrassed to be seen with a Gryffindor?" She said before beginning to walk towards the castle.

"As long as you aren't embarrassed to be seen with a Slytherin, plus my house has a new found respect towards you after your little duel" He said with a smile that made her laugh fondly.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter eleven

"Mind if I take a sit?" Remus said at Ali, who was sitting with Sirius and James in the great hall. It was the first time he spoke to her ever since the infirmary, a weird sensation invaded her.

"No, not at all" She said with a smile, which disappeared the moment she saw Amelia by his side.

Fortunately for her they sat in front of Ali. She had never hated Amelia, but right now as she saw her hand in hand with Remus she wanted to stab her with her fork.

"Where have you been I haven't seen you in ages?" Remus asked Ali, who was trying to avoid them, unfortunately she couldn't.

"I was at the lake"

"Who's the lucky guy?" He asked with a wide smile.

"No one, I was alone" _You, you are the lucky guy…_

"To bad, perhaps one they you will find someone just like I found my Remmy baby" She said in a passive aggressive tone with an unpleasant smile before giving him a kiss.

"If you excuse me I'm going to go vomit" She said softly.

"Ali" Remus said surprised. At that Ali stopped.

"It's all right Remmy, leave her, _I don't like her much_" the last part she said almost whispering; yet Ali, Sirius and James heard her.

"Is she joking?" Said Sirius angry.

"Yeah Remmy, it's all right, leave me" She said angrily at him and left.

She couldn't believe he hadn't said a thing, it wasn't like she was her girlfriend or anything, but she was still her friend, wasn't she?

"I don't fucking believe you" Sirius said at Remus, who was now kissing Amelia. "You know what vomiting actually sounds like a nice plan" Sirius said angrily before leaving.

"Howdy love " Sirius said as he sat by Ali's side, who was in one of the benches in the main patio. "Mind if I join you?"

"Mhm" She said hiding her face.

He took her chin with one of her hands and made her look at him. A tear was slipping down her cheek, Sirius cleaned it with his thumb.

"Don't cry over him love, please"

"Tears of frustration, I've had them ever since I was a child," She said with a smile "Sirius can I ask you something?"

"Anything"

"Did I ever make you feel like this?" At his weak smile her heart sunk even lower "I'm so sorry, I never meant to- I never thought-"

"Don't worry about it love, I understand, I didn't give you many reasons to think I was trustworthy myself" He smiled at her.

"You are wonderful Sirius, why can't you be this guy all the time?" She said with a laugh that made him smile crookedly.

"Because then this moments wouldn't be as important, would they now?" He said making Ali laugh. "See, that's better. Let's go rescue James, he's probably trying to kill himself with a spoon right now"

"He wouldn't kill her first would he?" She said with a vicious smirk.

"We wouldn't be so lucky, I could do it though" His smirk matched hers, making her laugh fondly.

Through the rest of the week Ali spent most of her time with Sirius and James who were avoiding 'Remmy-baby' and Amelia, as they were basically physically ill each time they saw them snogging, which was rather usual. Hadn't Amelia been so utterly annoying they would have given her a shot because it meant that their buddy was happy, hell even Ali would have, but she was extremely, utterly, annoyingly annoying.

"You really spend a lot of time around men don't you?" Amelia had said in that infuriating tone she had when talking to Ali.

Sirius and her had been walking when they were cornered by Remus and Amelia. They had tried to ran to the opposite side, yet it was too late.

"Apparently I do, why?" She answered curiously.

Sirius was waiting for the answer as much as Ali.

"Nothing, it's just that many girls here think that makes you slutty" She said with a superior tone.

Sirius's hand curved into a fist. Remus just stood there, silent, and Ali's mouth gaped.

"Many girls think so, or you think so Amelia?"

"To be honest, both"

"To be honest, many girls think you are a passive- aggressive, stuck up, cocky, self-conceited bitch with a competitive issue" She said with a smile as fake as the one Amelia was given her "Oh and also to be honest, I think so as well"

Sirius was smiling proudly at her.

"Ali!" Remus said outraged at her.

"What Remus? Now you are going to start talking? You've been nothing but her lap dog for almost a week, I thought _we_ still could at least get along" Her eyes were beginning to water because of all the anger and repressed feelings inside her.

Ali looked expectantly at him. Sirius had his arm across Ali so as to avoid her from attacking Amelia, which he knew she was about to.

"It's not my fault if that is what they think"

Ali gaped at him and now she had to held Sirius to avoid him from murdering his mate.

"Are you really going to talk like that to your friend because that twat says so?" Sirius said outraged.

"Don't call her a twat! She is my girlfriend" Remus said defensively. Taking Sirius by his shirt.

"And I thought I was your friend!" Ali yelled at him.

"I thought you were too, but apparently neither of you can stand me being this happy"

"You asshole!" Ali yelled at him and was about to slap him, yet Sirius out ran her and punched him in the nose.

"I don't know what the fuck happened to you, but I want my mate back" Sirius said after he punched him "Let's go Ali" he grabbed her by the hand and they left.

Even as blinded by anger as she was Ali managed to see something in Remus's eyes. Yet she didn't say a thing, it wasn't the moment. Besides she knew that if she went back there she would punch Amelia as hard as Sirius had, yet not only for what she had said…


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter twelve

"He's been what?" Asked Sirius as Ali paced furiously in the boy's bedroom.

"That bitch gave him a love potion!" She said with anger "I can't believe her I'm going to hex her and rip her eyes out" She was angry yet there was happiness in her eyes.

"And you know that only because you saw something in his eyes?" James asked confused. She nodded "Damn you really are a potions erudite"

"She must have given it in his juice or in sweets or something and then she kept dozing him, she must have bought it, that twat can't brew a potion even if her life depends on it. I KNOW!" she sat down in one of the beds immediately exhausted "Every time she kissed him his face changed! She has been dozing him with her lipstick, smart bitch"

"Ali breath" James said concerned that she would get a stroke "Can't you give him another potion to annul this one?"

"Yeah, but I'm going to have to steal from Slughorn's cabinet" She said with concern

"No problem, tomorrow is new year's eve, Slughorn will leave in the morning like every other teacher, so he won't check the potions cabinet, which means you have to do it tonight" Sirius said.

"Sure, but first I have to know which potion she gave him" She said laying down in bed.

"How do we do that?"

"I need some of his blood to analyze" She said solemnly.

As if on cue Remus appeared. Sirius's fists clenched as a response to earlier and Ali straightened.

"What's going on?" He asked as he looked at Ali who was laying in his bed.

"I know Pomfrey is on vacations and as she left me in charge so I came to fix your nose" Ali said looking at Sirius who winked at her proudly as he didn't regretted breaking his nose.

"Fine" He said as he sat on his bed.

Ali sat close to him. She looked in to his eyes expecting to find what she had spotted earlier. Thankfully she had been right there was a silver stray in his pupils.

"_Petrificus totalus_" She said and he turned stiff. "Sorry mate, but I miss your old self" She stood up and headed for the door. "I'll be right back"

"You know mate, you've been an arse lately, didn't we have a Marauders pact you would be suffering right now" Said James bluntly as he looked at the frozen Remus.

"Patterds Potion" Ali said after she had analyzed his blood.

Sirius woke from his sleep and James looked at her.

"What now?" Asked James.

"Now I go steal from my favorite teacher" She said looking at Remus and pointing at him with her index finger. "You owe me big time, and you better prepare when you go back to your usual self cause I won't forget the fact that you called me slut" She took James invisibility and left.

"Let me guess that's why you punched him?" James said defeated at Sirius, who smiled at him. James just laughed.

A love potion, that's what it was, all this crappy days feeling that he didn't feel what I thought he did, all because a love potion. Ali laughed with joy. I'm going to kill her, I'm going to strangle her with my own bare hands, no I'm going to do something better, I'm going to think something.

Incubus flesh, incubus flesh, where are you? Here, now serpent's scales, got it, phoenix feather, pixie's powder. Got it, Amelia Bennet you are going down.

"For how long do you have to steer?" Asked James.

"Unless you want Remus to turn into a frog instead of helping him out of his trance leave me alone Prongs" She said as James breathed down her neck. "Relax I know what I'm doing"

"I know you do, but he is starting to freak me out" He eyed at the petrified Remus.

"Well I'm done, but we are going to have to keep him like that until the potion works" They looked at her suspiciously "What do you want him to go running to Amelia and tell her so that she kisses him and annuls my potion? No way, I've worked to hard for that to happen" She placed her potion in a small vial and directed James to sit Remus up and open his mouth. "Don't give me that look and swallow" As he wouldn't she covered his nose, making him swallow so as to breath.

"How long until it works?"

"Few hours, we should take it away in the morning" She said while getting up.

"Where are you going? Why are you taking another vial and a chapstick?" Sirius asked.

"Revenge" She said smiling the way in which Sirius did.

"I am so sorry" she said as she bumped into Amelia making her drop her lipstick.

"Isn't loosing your best friend enough? What else should I take away from you so as to make you pay more attention" She said as she applied her lipstick.

"Oh you haven't taken anything away from me, I just let you borrow it for a while" Ali said smiling at her "Nice lipstick by the way" With that she smiled and walked away, leaving a startled looking and swallowing lips Amelia behind

"My lips what did you do to my lips!" She yelled, her voice becoming less clear as her lips swallowed twice its size.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter thirteen

"How was revenge?" Sirius asked as she entered.

"As sweet as chocolate, I brought food by the way" She said as she handed them a plate filled with bread, meat, potatoes and some pastries. "Can I sleep in Peter's bed tonight?"

"You could always sleep in mine" Sirius winked at her. "but yeah you can sleep in his bed"

_Please, please let it work…_

"It's funny to see you wake up first" Sirius said as he saw Ali siting in bed, looking at Remus.

"I couldn't sleep much" She answered even though she looked at the clock and it was three thirty pm.

"Should I take the spell away?" Asked James groggily. As Ali nodded James released Remus. "How are you feeling moony?"

"Great, why?" He said startled as he woke up

"Let's make a test" Sirius said as he got closer with his arms folded "Who do you love?"

"Amelia of course"

As he spoke James and Sirius's hearts sunk and Ali let out a little growl.

"Was that a growl?" Sirius asked Ali with a smile.

"Sorry, my other self is frustrated"

"I thought I had heard it earlier" Sirius said in a low voice.

"Tends to happen" She smiled apologetically "Wait! HA! I just remembered" Ali said as she got close to Remus. "Stand still" Ali said with a smile.

Remus, Sirius and James looked at her with expectancy. Ali just smirked maliciously and took of her jacket. At that Sirius worried and Remus's eyes widened. Unexpectedly Ali slapped Remus with all her strength, making him faint.

"I was definitely not expecting that" Said James.

"Pain always helps any potion to kick in the blood stream, that's why he fainted" She said with a smile.

"I think you hurt him more than I did Al" Sirius said amused "Did it work?"

"Let's see" She took Remus's chin with one of her hands and making him look at her "Remus, wake up" she shook him a bit.

"Why? What's wrong?" As he noticed the fact that he was only a hair away from Ali and that she was looking at him in the eye he blushed.

"YES! HE BLUSHED! HE'S BACK!" Sirius said excitedly.

"Wait don't get carried away" Ali said looking at Remus. "How do you feel about Amelia Bennet?"

"She's pompous and immature… why?" He said confused.

"Thank god!" Ali said as he hugged him making him fall back in bed with her on top of him. With that he turned as red as a tomato.

"Not that I'm not enjoying this, but would you mind explaining me what's going on?" Remus said as Ali moved away from him with a wide smile plastered in her face.

"Let's see, you were Amelia's Bennet bitch for six whole days, and oh you called me slut, that's why your face hurts" She smiled at him.

"WHAT?" He sounded Startled "And it does by the way, could you help me with that?" he said pleadingly at Ali

"No way, that's part of the punishment"

"But I didn't do a thing!" Remus said. "Did I?"

By the time they finished explaining what had happened to him and what a prick he had been Remus's head hurt by confusion, he couldn't believe what he heard, especially the way in which he had treated Ali.

"Did I really do all that?" The three of them nodded "huh, I guess I understand why you two hit me" He turned to face Ali only "I'm so sorry, you know I didn't meant it"

"I know, if not you still would be knocked out" She made him and their two friends laugh behind them. "What's the last thing you remember anyway?"

"Walking towards you in boxing day" He said.

"By the way what did you have tell me that day?" She said remembering the expression in his face when he had seen her, before Amelia had interrupted of course.

"Oh, I, um" he swallowed "It was nothing" He smiled as he laughed awkwardly.

"Okay" She smiled at him before hugging him again "I missed you"

This time Remus didn't let her pull away, he kept her close for a while "I missed you too" he said before letting her go.

"At what time does the banquet begin?" Sirius said as he hugged his stomach

"Six thirty" Ali answered laughing at him.

"What time is it?" He asked again.

"Five thirty"

"Kill me now" He whined as he covered his face with a pillow. "Do you still have the sweets we bought in our date?" He said as he lifted the pillow.

"I think I still have some chocolate, I'll be right back"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY? YOUR WHAT?" Remus yelled the moment Ali left the room. Yet she heard him. She also heard James and Sirius laughing.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter fourteen

Amelia strutted worried towards Remus as she saw him entering the great hall.

"I was so worried" She said as she hugged him.

He stepped away awkwardly as she tried to kiss him. Amelia looked startled at him and then narrowed her eyes as she saw Ali behind him, getting closer. Remus took her hand the second he saw her.

"Let's go Remmy baby, _I don't like her much_" She said with the same tone Amelia had said it to her as she laid her head in his shoulder.

Remus left by her side towards Sirius and James who were already sitting in the Gryffindor table. As Amelia looked at them they waved at her mockingly. Needless to say she stormed out of the dinning hall. Apparently she wasn't very popular amongst her 'friends' as they only looked at her dismissively as she left the room. Some of them even laughed.

"Thanks for indulging my dark side _Remmy baby_" She said mockingly as they left.

"Not the first time nor the last _Sweet cakes_" He said with the same tone remembering the nickname Ryan Dimns had given her.

She laughed at that and they sat to dine with their friends.

"God I still can't remember half of the things I did with her" He said burying his face in his hands.

"Don't worry, Sirius understands the feeling, don't you Padfoot?" She said laughing.

"I would say that every girl left a very important mark in me" He said with a poetic tone. "Yet you know me too well for that, so yes, I feel you mate" He shook of the poetic tone in the last part, making them laugh.

"You have to thank Ali for being here instead of snogging with Amelia, hadn't she been a genius in potions you'd still be Remmy baby" Said James as they entered their common room.

The spark that had been missing for the last six days had returned alongside Remus, it was amusing seeing him hit Sirius whenever he said something slyly to Ali, and it was also amusing seeing Ali blush whenever he did so. Amusing for James to see of course.

"I think I have to" Remus turned to face Ali. "Thanks for making me feel like myself again"

"No problem, I actually did it out of spite from Amelia as well" She lied, all she had done it had been for him.

"That as well, but I'm not talking about the thing with Amelia" He said smiling while looking downwards, making Ali frown in confusion. "When you saw me walking towards you, I was going to give you this" He said as he took a small box and gave it to her. "Merry Christmas" He said with a crooked smile.

"Remus It'ds beautiful!" she said as she looked at the silver heart shaped locket with a turquoise rune carved in it. She knew that the rune stood for protection. "Thank you" she said as she hugged him fondly. "I'm feeling bad for not buying you a present" She lied to him.

"No problem, I didn't meant it like that"

"Though if I had bought you one I would have left it on you night table while you were asleep" She smiled at him.

"Ali I-" He was saying when he was interrupted by Sirius, who seemed in a very good mood.

"Gentleman, and lady, you better go beautify yourselves cause we are going to a New Year's Eve party in hogsmeade " He said gleefully

"Are we now?" James said amused.

"Yes, James, we are. Unless you want to spend the first day of the year in your PJ's in the common room"

"I'm in" Said James.

"Great, Moony?"

"Sure, why not" He said smiling yet with an annoyed frown.

"Ali dear?" Sirius said with an exited smile.

"Count me in"

"Great! Now go get changed, it's almost ten thirty and I have a record to beat" He said as he climbed the stairs like a little boy during Christmas.

Remus rolled his eyes and James laughed, yet Ali didn't understand.

"What record?"

"How many girls he can kiss before midnight" James answered.

"I should have guessed" She said laughing as she walked up her stairs.

Ali decided to wear the locket Remus had given her. As it was a special occasion she decided to put on some make up, being bold she decided to try the red lipstick Alice had given her last Christmas. She didn't know exactly what to wear so she chose a strapless black dress, which was tight up to the waist, where it had a golden thin belt. From the waist up to her mid thigh the skirt of the dress was like a bell. This dress was also curtsey of Alice Lovelace as she constantly told Ali that she should wear more dresses instead of jeans as she usually did. The heels were Ali's for a change. The red pumps matched her lipstick.

As she descended from the stairs she noticed the three of them were wearing suits. She sighed in relief, as she had not overdressed. James was the first to turn around, who smiled amused at her.

"You clean up nicely" He said.

With that followed Remus and Sirius's stares, which were a tad more uncomfortable as they actually observed her with their mouth's agape.

"Ali you look so…" Sirius said trying to find a word.

"Girly for a change?" She finished with a smile.

She accepted and embraced the fact that she didn't wear skirts and dresses as much as Lily and Alice did, and that she didn't wear as much make up as most of the girls in Hogwarts. Honestly she didn't mid, yet it was nice to posh up a bit every once in a while.

"Yeah, no, uh" Sirius said awkwardly.

Ali laughed as she had never seen Sirius as nervous as he was, she actually thought she had seen him blush a bit.

"Let's go before you say something you'll regret later" She shook her head and waited for James and Sirius who were checking that Filch wasn't in the hallways in the Marauder's map.

"You look breath taking" Remus whispered in her ear. She smiled back at him.

"You look quite handsome yourself" She added bluntly.

He actually did. His navy shirt made his blue eyes shinier, which weren't covered by his tawny locks for a change as he had combed his hair back. Besides from his looks, there was something else about him that made him stand out. He was exuding confidence.

"Coast is clear, shall we?" James said as he motioned for them to get under the invisibility cloak.

Ali was actually relieved the moment they arrived to the portrait that lead to Hogsmeade. Partially because she was actually exited about the party, but mostly because she was getting uncomfortable, as the cloak was rather small for four people and she could feel Sirius and Remus breathing down her neck.

The party was exactly what she had expected. Of course everyone there were adults as no student still being in Hogwarts could be out and because any student who had left wouldn't travel as far to go to a party, hence no one checked their Id's. She was happy that the purpose for which they had gone to the party was accomplished, as Sirius kissed 25 different women, 26 counting Ali's kiss in the cheek, beating the 19 he had kissed last year.

They danced for most of the evening, which she did with Remus and occasionally with James as he was being loyal to Lily, who he had started dating a day before leaving. Yet as it got too crowded for Ali she decided to make a little escapade to the balcony.

As she gazed at the stars she begun hearing the count down.

_3…2…1_

Before she could hear happy new year she was seized by the waist and turned around. At first he kissed her gently, yet as the kissed developed it turned more passionate. The longing inside both of them fused into an explosion of sensations. His hands traveled through her back and hers played with his hair and neck. In need of air their lips parted from each other.

"Happy new year Ali" Remus said as he held her close, only an inch apart.

"Happy new year Remus" She smiled at him and resumed the kiss.


	15. Chapter 15

**_A look into the future…_**

"I'm going to miss you little monster" Said Remus as he hugged his daughter who was about to leave for her first year in Hogwarts.

"Dad I can't breath" Kat Lupin said as she laughed at her father. Her tawny curls jumping up and down as she tried to wriggle free. She smiled as her dark green eyes saw her mother moving forwards so as to join the hug. "Mum, I'm going to be fine if you don't suffocate me" She laughed.

"Ali!" Ali turned her face to find Lily and James with their son, her godson, Harry, who was speaking to his godfather. Sirius was talking animatedly while he carried Hedwig, the owl they had bought Harry for him.

Harry was like a son to him, the perfect son actually as he didn't have to settle down and break his flirty ways to pamper and love.

"You go with Harry hun, god I'm going to miss you" She said as she hugged her one last time. She kissed her daughter and her godson as they departed. Remus stood by her side and hugged his daughter again before hugging his wife.

"Can't believe that was us a few years ago" Said Lily as she cleaned a tear from her cheek.

"You really think we looked that clueless?" Joked Ali.

Except for Kat and Harry almost every kid had a scared look in their eyes. She knew her daughter was safe; she had a bright life ahead, she was glad she had Harry by her side. Both of them would have to be by each other's side in the years that were to come. She could still remember war and she knew it wasn't over. She also knew her godson would be the one to win it for everybody someday, and was convinced that her daughter would fight by his side when that day would come. Along side Lily and James, Ali was glad they had been informed on time what Harry was destined for as because of it they were able to protect him.

"I bet Peter did, the rest of us were too excited to be clueless" Sirius said with a smile.

Yet some sort of remorse filled them, as they hadn't heard a word from Peter ever since the winter holidays of sixth year. They had looked for him everywhere, yet he wouldn't appear.

Suddenly Molly Weasley appeared behind them with her youngest son, Ron. They smiled at her, as she as well as her husband was a part of the Order of the phoenix. Which the Marauders, Ali and Lily had joined to fight against Voldemort and his army of death eaters.

"Ron!" Yelled Molly Weasley as she went behind Ron who had left looking for Harry and Kat. "You are forgetting scabbers" She handed him a small yellow rat.

"Thanks mum" He said with a red face after she kissed him in the cheek, he almost leapt inside the train. The eyes of the rat lingering in the crowd before him…


End file.
